Extended Holiday in Term Time

Raising Attainment

Reducing Holidays / Extended Leave in Term Time

Sept 2009 1 BURY COUNCIL RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME

The Government has directed all local authorities to raise school attendance through reducing all holidays in term time and extended absence in term time (exceeding 10 school days). This has led to a national trend to reduce the number of weeks deemed acceptable for Holidays/Extended leave in term time and in many areas, any such application is simply not considered.

Bury Local Authority (LA) has always appreciated that visits to a country of origin can provide important opportunities to reaffirm family, linguistic and cultural identity. However, research conducted by the Department for Children Schools and Families focused on the effects of absences on a child’s educational progress and achievement. It found that pupils who went on holiday/extended leave two or more times during their school life, missed on average more than two years of their education. Obviously, this had a huge detrimental impact on their overall achievement.

All schools will be expected to adhere to this policy, as a consistent approach across Bury Council is needed to achieve the reduction in absence as directed from Government.

Sept 2009 2 BURY COUNCIL POLICY RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAY/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME

On receipt of an application for a holiday/ extended leave in term time, please consider the following:

 DCSF Guidance on The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 revised October (2007) version 2.1 states:

Time off school for family holidays is not a right. Schools have discretion to allow up to 10 day’s absence in a school year for a family holiday/leave of absence if they believe that the circumstances warrant it.

Schools may agree up to10 days holiday/ extended leave of absence in special circumstances, such as:

 for service personnel and other employees who are prevented from taking holidays outside term-time if the holiday will have minimal disruption to the pupil’s education; and  when a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after a crisis.

Holidays which are taken for the following reasons should not be authorised:

 availability of cheap holidays;  availability of the desired accommodation;  poor weather experienced in school holiday periods; and  overlap with beginning or end of school holidays

HOLIDAYS OF MORE THAN 10 DAYS (EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE)

 Applications for a holiday/extended leave in term time (i.e. exceeding 10 days) may be considered.  The maximum time a school can authorise for extended leave is 20 school days.  Families will be expected, whenever possible, to apply for any holiday/extended leave to coincide with school breaks.  It is desirable that the application is considered only once throughout a child’s school career. In any case this should happen no more than once within the Primary or Secondary school phase.  Any further application made for holiday absence/extended leave due to extreme circumstances should be passed to the local authority via your Education Welfare Officer (EWO). However, at this stage, if the application is successful, only 10 days absence will be considered. This applies to all children and young people of statutory school ages 5 to16 which will be at the end of the school year 11 [last Friday in June].

Sept 2009 3 Meetings and Home/School Contracts; On receipt of an application for extended leave in term time, the school should invite parents into school for a meeting. Where parents request leave for exceptional circumstances, a home/school contract should be completed immediately or as soon as possible after the initial request.

At this meeting a date of return and reason for the application must be recorded on the ‘Home/School Contract’ (Appendix 3). Both the parents and the school must then sign this contract. This must be kept on the child’s school record.

During this meeting, if the application is to be agreed, it should be explained to the parent that if the child fails to return to school on the stated date, the child’s name will be removed from the school roll (see ‘Removing a pupil from the School Roll’) and legal proceedings may be initiated.

If the application is not agreed, the school should make this clear to the parent and explain that if the child is taken out of school they will lose their place on the school roll and may face legal action. A letter (Appendix 4) should then be sent to the parent to confirm that their application has been denied and the possible outcomes of their child being taken out of school for an unauthorised holiday.

In all cases, a copy of the completed contract should be given to the parents. Schools may wish to contact their Education Welfare Officer to seek advice as to whether it would be appropriate for a Penalty Warning letter to be prepared in advance of this meeting. (In certain circumstances the school may wish to invite their Education Welfare Officer to attend the meeting).

HOLIDAYS/LEAVE OF ABSENCE OF UP TO 10 DAYS

 Occasionally, parents request leave for reasons other than a holiday. Some of these could be considered to be exceptional circumstances. Most exceptional circumstances would be considered by the Head teacher in line with the Bury LA Policy. The following are regarded as exceptional circumstances:

Death or serious illness of a close family member. The definition of a close family member is (to either the child or parent):

Husband Wife Parent Child Brother Sister

 Factors To Be Considered

Sept 2009 4 The following factors should be considered when any application is made: 1. The age of the pupil 2. The time of year 3. The nature and purpose of the trip 4. The impact on the pupils education 5. The pupils ability to catch up work missed 6. The pupils educational needs 7. The general welfare of the pupil 8. The amount of time requested 9. The overall attendance pattern of the pupil 10. History of any previous trips taken

If any of these factors are deemed to affect the child’s education and are not outweighed by the reason for taking leave or holiday, the school should not authorise the holiday application.

 Minimum Notice Required A minimum notice of 10 school days must be given to the school [unless in very exceptional circumstances]. Where no notice is given, school must send a letter to parents (Appendix 1). The school may then remove the child from the school roll, following initial investigations over a time period of four weeks and backdate the pupil’s attendance to the last date attended. (See ‘Removing A Pupil From The School Roll’). Parents may face legal action (Under Section 444 (1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996) or be issued with a Penalty Notice (Under Section 23 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003). Where insufficient notice is provided, schools are to use their discretion in deciding whether to arrange a meeting in school or to refuse to authorise the application. If the application is to be refused due to insufficient notice, please send a letter to parents (Appendix 2) and follow the general procedures.

 School Records Schools are expected to record all holiday/extended leave in term time on the pupils ‘Record of Holiday/Extended Leave’ (Appendix 5 is a sample which you may use). This will be kept on a pupil’s school record and passed from primary to secondary school, or school-to-school in the case of a transfer.

 Monitoring By The Local Authority Schools are expected to record all holidays /extended leave in term time on a termly basis to Bury Education Welfare Service on the ‘Holiday/Extended Leave Absence Return’ (Appendix 6). This will enable the Education Welfare Department to carry out a whole borough analysis of the impact of extended holidays in term time. All attendance returns should be sent via e-mail to [email protected] or internal post addressed to. Education Welfare Service Holiday/Extended Leave in Term time returns.

 Removing A Pupil From The School Roll Regulation 9 of the 1995 Regulations (annex G, item e) states: ‘In the case of a pupil granted leave of absence exceeding 10 school days for the purpose of a holiday, the pupil’s name should be deleted from the

Sept 2009 5 register if the pupil has failed to attend the school within the 10 school days immediately following the expiry of the period for which such leave was granted.’

Government has not yet changed this period of 10 days following a holiday. During the start of this 10-day period, the school should send a letter to the home address (Appendix 7) reminding the parents of the Home/School Contract and explaining that a Penalty Notice may now been issued. At the end of the 10 days, school should:

1. Send a letter to parents (Appendix 8) stating that the child has now been removed from the school roll and the local authority has been informed. 2. Inform the local authority of the removal from school roll. 3. Inform the Education Welfare Officer for the school of the removal from roll by completing CME form 3B which must also be signed by the EWO for your school.

When removing a pupil from the school roll, the school may backdate to the last date the pupil attended school.

However, in all cases the same procedures of informing parents by letter and informing the local authority and the Education Welfare Officer must be followed.

When any legal proceedings are being considered, close consultation between the school and the Education Welfare Service is crucial. For further information and advice, please contact your Education Welfare Officer.

Sept 2009 6 RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME APPENDIX 1 – NO NOTICE SUPPLIED

Eleni Ioannides Executive Director of Children’s Services

Our Ref Your Ref Learning Division Date Please ask for Ian Chambers Direct Line 0161 253 Assistant Director Direct Fax 0161 253 5730 (Learning) E-mail @bury.gov.uk

Dear ______

It is our understanding that your child/children ______is/are absent from school in order to take a holiday/extended leave. This absence has not been authorised by the school, as the required period of notice was not supplied and no home/school contract has been agreed.

In accordance with Bury Council's Policy on Holiday/Extended Leave in Term Time, your child/children will be removed from the school roll and will therefore have no place at this school on their return.

It is also possible that you may face legal action (Under Section 444 (1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996) or be issued with a Penalty Notice (Under Section 23 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003).

The local authority has been informed. On your return you should contact Bury’s School Admissions Department on 0161 253 6473 immediately to arrange admission of your child/children into a school.

Until this time, your child/children will be recorded by the local authority as ‘Children Missing from Education’.

Yours sincerely

Head Teacher

Athenaeum House Electronic service of legal Market Street documents accepted only at: Sept 2009 Bury BL9 0BN E-mail: [email protected] 7 Fax: 0161 253 5119 www.bury.gov.uk RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME APPENDIX 2 – INSUFFICIENT NOTICE SUPPLIED

Our Ref Your Ref Date Learning Division Please ask for Direct Line 0161 253 Ian Chambers Direct Fax 0161 253 5730 Assistant Director E-mail @bury.gov.uk (Learning)

Dear ______

I have recently received your application for your child/children ______, to be granted a holiday/ extended leave in term time.

Bury Council’s policy on ‘Extended Holidays In Term Time’, states that parents must give the school at least 10 school days notice prior to any holiday/extended leave in term time.

Unfortunately, you have not supplied sufficient notice for your application to be considered. Therefore, we are unable to authorise your holiday application. Therefore, please ensure that your child/children continue to attend school regularly and punctually.

I must inform you that if you decide to take your child/children out of school when the holiday is not authorised, you may face legal action (Under Section 444 (1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996) or be issued with a Penalty Notice (Under Section 23 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003).

If the unauthorised holiday period is more than 20 school days, your child/children will be removed from the school roll and will therefore have no place at this school on their return.

Yours sincerely

Head Teacher

Athenaeum House Electronic service of legal Market Street documents accepted only at: Sept 2009 Bury BL9 0BN E-mail: [email protected] 8 Fax: 0161 253 5119 www.bury.gov.uk RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME APPENDIX 3 – HOME SCHOOL CONTRACT

This contract is an agreement between:

Parents/Carers of …………………………………………………………..

Date of Birth …………………………………………………………..

Year Group …………………………………………………………………..

School ……………………………………………………..……………

Current Level of School Attendance (for last full term) ...... %

We have agreed that / not agreed that______will be absent from school from ______to go on a visit to ______.

This visit needs to take place at this time because ______

______. He/she will return to school on or before ______.

It is understood that if he/she does not return to school by the agreed date, he/she will be removed from the school roll after a further 20 school days. The agreed contract will be broken therefore, the pupils absence will be backdated to the last date the child attended school. Parents may face legal action (Under Section 444 (1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996) or be issued with a Penalty Notice (Under Section 23 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003). This is in accordance with Bury Council’s policy on Holiday/Extended Leave in Term Time.

Parent/Carers Name (Please print) ______

Parents/Carers Signature: ______

Head Teachers Name (Please print) ______

Head Teachers Signature: ______

Date: ______(Please ensure a copy of the completed contract is given to parents/carer and EWO).

Sept 2009 9 RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME APPENDIX 4 – HOME SCHOOL CONTRACT DENIED

Our Ref Your Ref Date Please ask for Learning Division Direct Line 0161 253 Direct Fax 0161 253 5730 Ian Chambers E-mail @bury.gov.uk Assistant Director (Learning) Dear ______

Following the recent meeting which was arranged to discuss your application for a holiday/ extended leave in term time, I would like to confirm the reasons why your application was denied.

The following factors are considered when any application is made and the areas of concern are marked below.

Factors Concerns () The age of the pupil The time of year The nature and purpose of the trip The impact on the pupils education The pupils ability to catch up work missed The pupils educational needs The general welfare of the pupil The overall attendance pattern of the child History of previous trips taken Period of time applied for (Maximum 10 school days) Lack of minimum notice supplied (Minimum 10 school days) Other (please specify)

I must inform you that if you decide to take your child/children out of school when the holiday/extended leave is not authorised, you may face legal action (Under Section 444 (1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996) or be issued with a Penalty Notice (Under Section 23 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003). This is in accordance with Bury Council’s policy on Holiday/Extended Leave in Term Time.

Your child/children will be removed from the school roll and will therefore have no place at this school on their return.

Yours sincerely

Head Teacher

Athenaeum House Electronic service of legal Market Street documents accepted only at: Sept 2009 Bury BL9 0BN E-mail: [email protected] 10 Fax: 0161 253 5119 www.bury.gov.uk Sept 2009 11 HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE IN TERM TIME Appendix 5a – Primary School Record of Extended Holiday/ Leave of Absence in Term Time

This record must be placed on the pupils file. It will assist schools when considering future applications and will follow the child to secondary school, or to a new school in the case of a transfer.

Name………………………………………………………………..

Date of Dates Date of Reason For Request Home/School Actual Date Class Request Required Meeting Contract of Return From - To Signed

Nursery

Reception

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Sept 2009 12 REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE IN TERM TIME Appendix 5b – Secondary School Record of Holidays/ Extended Leave of Absence In Term Time

This record must be placed on the pupils file. It will assist schools when considering future applications and will follow the child to secondary school, or to a new school in the case of a transfer.

Name ………………………………………………………………

Date of Dates Date of Reason For Request Home/School Actual Date Class Request Required Meeting Contract of Return From - To Signed

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Sept 2009 13 BURYCOUNCIL -REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE RETURN Appendix 6

School Name………………………………………………..

Pupils who were absent because of an holiday, or extended leave during the term…………………

Extended Visits First Name Surname Unique Gender Ethnic Year First If Actual If Date taken off Pupil M / F Origin Group (At Date of authorised, Date of unauthorised, roll if not No. Code time of Absence agreed date Return date taken off returned as (UPN) absence) of return roll agreed

If nil return, please tick

Signed (on behalf of the school) ………………………….. Designation ………...... Date ………………

Please return to the local authority on a termly basis. This will enable the Education Welfare Service to carry out a whole borough analysis of the impact of holidays in term time. Send to: [email protected] or via the internal post marked Education Welfare, Holiday in Term time return

Sept 2009 14 RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME

APPENDIX 7 – PUPIL NOT RETURNED BY STATED DATE

Our Ref Your Ref Date Please ask for Learning Division Direct Line 0161 253 Direct Fax 0161 253 5730 Ian Chambers E-mail @bury.gov.uk Assistant Director (Learning)

Dear ______

Your child/children______has/have now been absent from school for ______days.

Before you left the area you signed a contract with the school and agreed that your child would return to school on ______.

In order to avoid legal proceedings and your child being taken off roll, you must contact the school immediately to discuss the matter.

Failure to do so may initiate legal proceedings as stated on the Home/School Contract. This may take the form of legal action Under Section 444 (1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996, or be issued with a Penalty Notice (Under Section 23 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003).

This is in accordance with Bury Council's policy on Holiday/Extended Leave in Term Time.

Yours sincerely

Head Teacher

Athenaeum House Electronic service of legal Market Street documents accepted only at: Sept 2009 Bury BL9 0BN E-mail: [email protected] 15 Fax: 0161 253 5119 www.bury.gov.uk RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAYS/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME

APPENDIX 8 – REMOVAL FROM THE SCHOOL ROLL

Our Ref Your Ref Date Learning Division Please ask for Direct Line 0161 253 Ian Chambers Direct Fax 0161 253 5730 Assistant Director E-mail @bury.gov.uk (Learning)

Dear ______

Your child/children ______has/have now been absent from school for ______days.

Following my letter dated ______, and in line with Bury Council’s policy on Holidays/Extended Leave in term time, we have now taken your child/children off the school roll. Therefore, your child/children no longer has/have a place at this school.

It is also possible that you may face legal action (Under Section 444 (1) or (1A) of the Education Act 1996) or be issued with a Penalty Notice (Under Section 23 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003).

The local authority has been informed. On your return you should contact Bury School Admissions Department on 0161 253 6473 immediately to arrange admission of your child/children into a school.

Until this time, your child/children will be recorded on the local authority as ‘Children Missing from Education ‘database.

Yours sincerely

Head Teacher

Athenaeum House Electronic service of legal Market Street documents accepted only at: Sept 2009 Bury BL9 0BN E-mail: [email protected] 16 Fax: 0161 253 5119 www.bury.gov.uk RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAY/EXTENDED LEAVE IN TERM TIME

Ethnic Origin Please use only one of the following codes to describe a pupil’s ethnic origin.

2001 Census Codes

WBRI White – British

WIRI White – Irish

WIRT Traveller – Irish Heritage

WROM White – Gypsy/Roma

WOTH White – any other White Background

MWBC Mixed/Dual Heritage – White and Black Caribbean

MWBA Mixed/Dual Heritage – White and Black African

MWAS Mixed/Dual Heritage – White and Asian

MOTH Mixed/Dual Heritage – any other mixed background

AIND Asian or Asian British – Indian

APKN Asian or Asian British - Pakistani

ABAN Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi

AOTH Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background

BCRB Black or Black British – Caribbean

BAFR Black or Black British – African

BOTH Black or Black British – any other Black background

CHNE Chinese

OOTH Any other ethnic group

REFU Parent/pupil preferred not to say

NOBT Information not obtained

Sept 2009 17